Meghan Markle admits to shattered dreams of royal motherhood while experts question Sussex family choices

Meghan Markle is reflecting on how royal motherhood could have been different for her, but for several royal experts, it’s too little, too late.

On Tuesday’s episode of her podcast, "Confessions of a Female Founder," the Duchess of Sussex admitted that things didn’t pan out how she would have liked.

"I will say… I've always wanted to be a mom," the 43-year-old shared. "I was like, 'Oh gosh, I'm going to give a speech with a baby on my hip.' I had a whole vision. Granted, I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and both babies. But it was not the way I envisioned it."

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Meghan Markle is seen here with her son Prince Archie in 2019. The Duchess of Sussex admitted on her podcast that royal motherhood was not the way she envisioned it. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that the British royal family had their own vision for the Sussexes — that their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would learn about their British heritage.

"What is certain is that the rift caused by the Sussexes' behavior and their brutal attacks on the royal family will make it difficult for Prince Archie and Princess Lili to have contact with their royal relatives," Fitzwilliams claimed.

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"The Sussexes claimed the palace establishment worked against them," he said. "There is no doubt that Meghan [and her sister-in-law] Kate [Middleton] had very different roles and temperaments. [But] the stresses the Sussexes said they experienced and their unhappiness with their roles only intensified. And in ‘Spare,’ Prince Harry personally attacked several influential courtiers."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son, Prince Archie, is being raised in California. (Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

Meghan, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018. They welcomed their son while they were still senior members of the royal family. The couple brought their son, now 6, with them on a royal tour of Africa in 2019 and introduced him to Bishop Desmond Tutu.

But then in 2020, the couple announced they were stepping back as senior royals, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. That year, they moved to California. In 2021, they welcomed their daughter Lilibet.

Meghan Markle was last in the U.K. for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. (Samir Hussein/Getty Images)

Since their royal exit, the "Suits" alum has shared limited photos and videos of her kids without showing their faces. The couple also doesn’t take them to public events where they could be photographed by paparazzi.

Prince Archie was born in the U.K. (Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

"When Harry married Meghan, it was widely thought that her experience on the red carpet as the star of ‘Suits’ and her public speaking as a campaigner meant that, stressful though it was, royal life would be easier for her," Fitzwilliams explained. 

"How wrong the pundits were. Her wish for privacy in the period surrounding Archie’s birth may have been understandable, but meant her relations with the press took a dive."

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Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Prince Harry in 2018. (Reuters)

"The Sussexes' obsession with privacy has subsequently been lampooned since they are so selective," he claimed. "Archie was born in May 2019, and by September, the Sussexes had gone public with their unhappiness with their royal roles when on tour in South Africa."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally. (Harpo Productions/Getty Images)

After the royal couple’s exit, they went on to air their grievances in interviews and a Netflix series. Harry’s 2023 tell-all memoir "Spare," loaded with embarrassing details about the House of Windsor, only worsened the rift.

"The distance between the Sussex children and their English heritage didn’t originate with the royal family," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital. 

Meghan Markle was born in California. (Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

"[The royal family] have done their utmost to take the high road, despite a constant bombardment of criticism. Over time, the ‘proof is in the pudding,’ as the British say. The dedication to duty by all the senior royals has won over the public."

Prince Harry's memoir, "Spare," worsened his rift with the British royal family. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Fordwich claimed that the ongoing rift, as well as the "different paths chosen by Harry and Meghan," is something that the royals "have come to reluctantly accept."

"While the royal family has not publicly responded to Meghan’s latest reflections, as with most issues, they are [aligned] with the British public," Fordwich claimed. She pointed out that polls in the country have "Meghan and Harry at the bottom."

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen here attending the King Power Royal Charity Polo Match before their royal exit. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

On May 2, Harry declared in an interview with the BBC that he wanted to reconcile with his family after losing a court battle over his publicly funded security, which he said led his father, King Charles III, to stop talking to him. The monarch, 76, is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.

King Charles III was diagnosed in February 2024 with an undisclosed form of cancer. ( HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

"I would love reconciliation with my family," said Harry, 40. "There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much longer my father has… He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff."

Harry, who has been estranged from his family since his royal exit, said the court verdict meant it would be impossible to safely bring his family back to the U.K. The prince said repeatedly that the decision to withdraw his security had been made at the direction of palace officials to control him and his wife, even though it put their safety at risk.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in California. (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

"What I’m struggling to forgive, and what I will probably always struggle to forgive, is the decision that was made in 2020 that affects my every single day, and that is knowingly putting me and my family in harm’s way," Harry said.

Prince Harry said he's ready for reconciliation. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

A government committee decided in 2020 that Harry’s security arrangements should be decided on a case-by-case basis whenever he visits the U.K.

Harry said that the committee includes two representatives of Buckingham Palace who have blocked his security in the U.K. The king could resolve the security issue by stepping out of the way and letting experts make the decision, Harry added.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are estranged from the British royal family. (Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images)

In response to the court ruling, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that the issue had been meticulously examined by the courts "with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex view a gift for their son Archie as they attend the WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel on October 15, 2019, in London, England. (Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Harry said that he loves his country and would love to show his young children his homeland, but now he only returns for funerals and court cases.

"Other royals receive credible threats and face intense scrutiny, and they have all weathered these ghastly experiences admirably," Fordwich pointed out. "Both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III have been shot at. Luckily, both were with blanks… And Princess Anne survived a kidnapping attempt."

Prince Harry said he wants his children to get to know their British heritage. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

But Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that if Meghan and Harry’s concerns with royal life had been addressed early on, perhaps the family could have been more united today.

Sources told royal expert Ian Pelham Turner they weren't surprised Meghan Markle left the royals in 2020. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

"Many people… I have spoken to since have said they were not surprised Meghan left," he claimed. "They were expecting it to happen. Now, it is up to the king to find a way of allowing them all back."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to raise their children in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito.